


infinity times infinity times infinity

by lavendericecoffee



Series: TFTBL AU [4]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, TFTBL AU, excessive amount of hcs abt Rhys' past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendericecoffee/pseuds/lavendericecoffee
Summary: Rhys and Timothy share some dreams and secrets underneath the stars.
Relationships: Timothy Lawrence/Rhys
Series: TFTBL AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801879
Kudos: 8





	infinity times infinity times infinity

**Author's Note:**

> Tales AU how I missed thee, it's good to be back. this idea has been on and off in my head for the longest time so Im very glad I could finally write this <3
> 
> my music inspo here was [ Sun by Sleeping At Last](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKXSIXETmXg), which is also where I got the title from  
> also [Revenge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeI-1Aq5CJw) bc yeah

The late night hour didn’t seem like a problem. Especially with the sky illuminated with thousands of stars.

It probably shouldn’t be to Rhys’ surprise. He could see stars right from the windows in his Helios apartment. After the long shifts, as well as between parties and planning his next corporate move, he loved to simply sit by and look at them. Maybe it was still something he truly missed from his home planet, where days were shorter than anywhere else. So much time spent in the darkness, Rhys found peacefulness within the stars. Like the little specks of light, reminding him of the infiniteness of six galaxies.

There really was something comforting about this. Almost stranded on a Pandora, planet he hated with all his heart, the stars stayed the same. Like on Boreas, like on Helios. As if they were the only steady thing in Rhys’ life at this point. So now looking at stars reminded him of the past days when everything seemed so simple and straightforward.

And yet, he couldn’t have said that he longed for these times. At least not in the same capacity as during his first days on Pandora.

Rhys glanced to his left, looking into the features of someone both familiar and completely new. And he gave him the brightest smile he could muster.

“Do you like the stars?” Rhys asked, carefully.

A spark of surprise graced that certain someone’s features. His face just a moment ago looking into the endless sky, now settled onto Rhys. And he could see that smile that only that someone, Timothy Lawrence, could give him. With that curled lip and knowing eyes. Rhys looked at him immensely, almost in wonder. Or actually, completely in wonder, trying to capture how beautiful he looked basked in the light of infinite stars.

“You do realize that’s like asking someone if they like getting a raise, huh? Or ice cream day?” he struck him down with a precise talkback.

“You’d be surprised how many people actually hate the ice cream day,” Rhys shrugged, yet he couldn’t help a smile.

To which Timothy laughed briefly, “Then yeah, I like the stars. Since I’m on Pandora, even more so, I think.” He turned around once more to look into the sky, “And I also like ice cream days. If you’re noting.”

“Me too. And I _am_ noting, for your information,” said Rhys. Before he could actually go back into stargazing, he had to ask, “Wh- What do you mean by “since you’re on Pandora”, though?”

Timothy’s shoulders tensed a little. Not wanting to add anything else, Rhys simply turned his head away from him back to the stars. Having spent some time with him, Rhys has already learnt that sometimes he truly wanted a moment for himself. To think things over and give a proper response. Sometimes even not to say anything that his tongue suggested and let everyone listen to his Jack-talk. And he also didn’t really like when people observed him too carefully. So Rhys wanted to respect his wishes and remain in his place.

It almost felt a little… Odd. As he usually felt like the one in the place to create rules and make everyone else follow. What was so different about Timothy that all he wanted to do was just to sit back and listen to him talk endlessly, he couldn’t pinpoint. But he also couldn’t complain.

After a moment, Timothy continued, “Ehh, when you’re a guy who is scared shitless of heights and you are thrown to places like, I dunno, the moon and the space station you kind of… Actually hate every moment you’re alive in there. But when I got to Pandora, I often just sat back and looked at the stars. And I feel… Grounded. Like even when there’s all this happening in front of me, I can have my itty bitty place in the universe. Juuust to watch.”

Rhys hummed in agreement, letting his words sink in. Another surprise of his came from the fact how similar yet distant their perspectives were. While he looked in the stars, thinking of everything beyond his eyesight, Timothy just stayed content with the place he had. Maybe that was some sort of mechanism of his. To sit back and not think of whatever the hell forced him to stay in this place.

At the same time there was something simply… Beautiful in all of this. Rhys actually couldn’t believe he was agreeing to so but he appreciated it. Even with the infiniteness of the universe in front of him, he didn’t feel quite as lost. He had this little place. And he had people with him. Especially Timothy who knew so much about everything happening in front of them and Pandoran hierarchies with survival methods. There really was a beauty between all the road kill skags, bandits trying to kill them and the pesky AI living in his head.

“I guess that makes more sense…” Rhys admitted, dreamily. “What do you know about Boreas?”

“What, is it a pop quiz now?” Timothy raised his eyebrow.

“Pffsh, if you want this to be. But nah, no, it’s just that _I_ am from Boreas, actually.”

“Ooh, I see now,” for a split second, Timothy thought to himself of a correct answer. “It’s the coldest planet of the six galaxies, right? And your skags are all fuzzy and white. At least, I think, I don’t know, I’ve never really been there.”

“More or less, yeah. Yes, it’s cold as shit there, but I like it, believe it or not,” Rhys laughed and scooted a little closer to Timothy, still looking at him and only him. “It’s just that… Oh, Boreas has the longest nights. I’ve spent lots of time just looking at stars and… I don’t know this and the astrology curriculums in college. I know a lot about it.”

Timothy lowered his sight and whispered, oh so gently, “Then, tell me.”

Even if he should’ve expected this question, Rhys was a little startled of hearing it. Where to even start with this? Astrology for him was nothing more than a side passion, just something to keep on robotics and technology. Like his little telescope he had in his Helios apartment, only there to remind him of the company of the stars. But with Timothy’s soft tone of voice, how could he resist revealing at least a tidbit of this magic.

So he scooted even closer, letting their arms brush against each other, as he pointed to the sky.

“Do you see this constellation? Like, you know this,” Rhys said while drawing vague shapes in the sky.

It was effective enough, as Timothy simply nodded.

“That one is called The Great Siren. You can see it best from Pandora but you could see it semi-alright from Helios too,” explained Rhys.

Putting his hand upwards, Timothy asked, “Like this?”

“No, wait, let me,” taking his hand in his, Rhys decided to help him out draw the lines. “You see? This is her head and her body. One of her hands is straight up and the other is a little wonkier, like the tattoos.”

“Oooh. Yeah. Yeah, I see it now,” Timothy agreed and looked into the sky in wonder.

“It’s one of my favorites, cause it’s well, really intricate. Some constellations barely look like what they’re described as,” Rhys sighed, as he once more smiled knowingly at Timothy. “If you’ve never been there, I gotta take you to Boreas after all this is over.”

“Me?”

“Don’t see anyone else there, so,” he gave him a little nudge, to which Timothy laughed. But then out of a habit or a just without even thinking, he intertwined their arms together, while they sat already so close. “We could stop by mom and dad. I haven’t seen them in ages. And I’d take you to my favorite ice cream place, right in the capital.”

“Sure, then I’d love that,” Timothy admitted, letting his head rest against Rhys’. “Woah, introducing me to your parents? Risky business, Rhys.”

“What? They’d adore you, trust me,” he continued, fighting off the giggle from Timothy’s soft hair tickling him on the cheek.

 _Just as much as I do_ , Rhys thought, yet immediately wanted to bite his tongue and slap himself at that thought. God, why couldn’t his brain censor itself. And why would it just straight up think so about his teammate.

Hearing this, Timothy could only sigh, “I’d take your word on that.”

And so, they just stayed embraced. Rhys commented on the various other constellations before them and Tim only nodded, enchanted by each and every word of his. In one moment, Rhys had only realized how close they are, how much they are just holding each other on this night full of stars. But for some reason… He didn’t mind. He liked that Timothy was by his side, listening to him intensely.

Maybe that was one of the other things he appreciated about Timothy so much. So many people overlooked him, took the very first glance and thought they knew it all. But there was just so much to him, Rhys found himself surprised with each second. That he was willing to listen, that there was such need and desire behind him. That he actually wanted to learn and teach others. And that he was sweeter and more passionate than Rhys could’ve given him credit for at first. Suddenly thinking of such about his teammate wasn’t as strange as it was at first.

Amidst many of the thoughts, they both saw a cosmic tail cutting through the dark sky.

Rhys furrowed his brows and cleared his throat, “Wait, was that a, ahm. Moonshot or a shooting star?”

“Pretty sure, it was a moonshot, kiddo,” Timothy seemed unfazed, accenting the last syllables.

“Oh,” yeah. What else could Rhys possibly say. Still, he decided to play it cool, “That’s a shame, I thought we could’ve started making wishes.”

“And what would you wish for?” asked Timothy, fixing himself up, yet still hugged tightly to Rhys.

He gave him a knowing stare, both playful and serious, “I can’t tell you, right? Or it won’t come true.”

“Buuut there was no shooting star. And that means your wish will be safe with me.”

Honestly, if there was anyone he could tell his wishes to and know they could still happen, it had to be Timothy. So Rhys looked to the side and started:

“But you already know what I want. I just wanna get back to Helios and rule Hyperion. Take what’s mine and, you know, all that.”

A beat of silence between them. Oh, Rhys already could hear how much Tim hated that answer.

“Lame,” commented Timothy, as Rhys already pouted back at him. “C’mon, Rhys, there really isn’t anything else you’d wish for? Like since you were a kid?”

“When I was a kid, I wanted a cool asymmetrical outfit. So I got it,” Rhys shrugged.

“So you get everything you want, huh?”

“More or less,” oh. Oh, now Rhys thought of it. He bit his bottom lip, thinking hard of how much he really could tell him all of his wishes. But well. He already had his heart on the sleeve, what else he could really risk there. “Actually… There was something I wished for, since I was a kid. Well, along with running a company and a cool asymmetrical outfit.”

“What was it then? Iiiif I may ask,” instantly, it perked up Timothy’s interests.

“Oooh, ehm…” he was gonna regret this, he already felt so. But to hell with this. “You know all these childhood fairytales of all these righteous heroes rescuing princesses? I… I always wanted to meet someone who would be that type for me.”

The answer seemed to stun Timothy as hard as it ever could. But then he smiled so softly, Rhys felt his heart tremble in his chest, “Really?”

“Well, yes, I mean…” Rhys already could feel his cheeks getting much hotter. “There is a difference between wanting to be the number one and the hero. And I guess I just never saw myself in the latter, hah. It’s… A silly dream but. I still kinda wanna meet that someone.”

“So you’re a romantic type,” he summed it up.

“You’d be surprised.”

“Well, I like that dream. More than the Hyperion one, for sure,” Tim continued, letting his fingers trace lines against Rhys’ arm. “Really wish you’ll meet that someone.”

 _Unless I’ve already met that someone_. Oh god, what was it with these thoughts, Rhys scolded himself. The more convoluted and complicated they seemed, the more he had to admit he’d prefer to hear AI Jack’s yammerings.

“Thanks…” he finally said. “What about you? What’s your wish, Tim.”

Timothy shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. To go out and not have to cover my face? Or something more plausible, like a book deal.”

That answer did nothing more than just puzzle Rhys even more so. He knew it couldn’t be all there was. Hell, he was from such social circles, he couldn’t believe _that_ was it. With his mind almost back at Helios, he remarked.

“You’d be surprised at how many places you are welcomed. Scratch that, how many places would treat you like a god, if you went there. You could walk into Helios and take it all with a snap of your fingers.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want that,” the tone of Timothy’s voice suddenly became much more distant.

“So what do you want in life?”

“A life. For starters.”

Oh.

This time the tone of Timothy’s wasn’t as much distant, as it was just… Harsh. Like something he dreaded, something he didn’t want in the slightest. His shoulders tensed and he moved a little away from Rhys’ hands. The look on his face didn’t promise anything good.

God, now Rhys not only wished he could censor his mind but also his words.

“Rhys, you have _no_ idea how it is. Everywhere I have to go, I have to listen to every single person wishing I was someone else. Or hating me for being something I’m not. You really think I wanted to, I don’t know, go stranded on the ass end of Pandora? Hell no, I just. I just _had_ to, okay? I don’t wanna “take it all”. I just want someone to maybe see past this shit for once.”

Timothy accented the last syllables, almost snarling at the end. Just trying to cement his stance, be honest about what he felt. What he had to feel, all this damn time. Of all the fears, all the praise not even directed at him but for someone long dead. Of all the doubts and everything everyone projected onto him.

And then Rhys realized that he should’ve stopped projecting and take the reality as it was. As it could be, as he wanted.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

At the sound of these words, Timothy looked back at him.

“I’m sorry, it was such a dick move to tell you this, I’m… I’m really sorry, Tim,” Rhys continued.

There was a certain low glimmer in Timothy’s eye, Rhys had to go forward.

“Truth be told, you don’t have to act or hide behind all of… That. Cause you- You’re just good as you are. You’re great as you are.”

Breath got stuck in his chest, while he asked, “You mean it?”

“Why would I not? You’re brave and sweet, and so witty, I just like to listen to you, I feel like I could do it for _hours_. Ehm, and-and I like it how satisfied you are when taking a proper shot and I like how you keep fixing your hair, and how you smile when you think no one’s looking and- Look, I would’ve never said any of these about Jack. Never, I swear. And all this just makes you… You. I might not be able to make everyone drop the mask but I like you, Tim. As Tim, not a Handsome Jack doppelganger,” Rhys concluded, looking deep into Timothy’s eyes.

Maybe at first he would think of it all as simply abysmal. Right in front of him was basically his hero still alive. But he just… Couldn’t. Especially still having to deal with the AI Jack interrupting his thoughts. But maybe this is why he liked Tim. Not in spite of but _because_ he was so different. Cause he was himself, in every sense of this word. And Rhys appreciated that, more than he thought.

There really was so much to Timothy that didn’t meet the eye at first. But taking any time to know him was worth more than Rhys could ever think of. Maybe you really could meet someone like Timothy only once in an infinity.

And Tim could just smile gently, “This is probably the nicest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”

“That’s why I gotta stay by and tell you this more, right?” Rhys jerked his head.

“You would?”

“Every day, I would tell you so, just. Just because,” Rhys scooted even closer to him, taking his hand into his.

It seemed that Timothy wanted to say so. That he had something on the tip of his tongue, wanting to say out so badly. But instead, he just tightened the grip on Rhys’ hand and whispered, “I could get used to that.”

And they stayed like this. Looking into each other’s eyes, seemingly holding off saying some things right from their hearts. But it didn’t seem to matter. Not even those stars behind them mattered. Just this moment, just that they could be together. Like two specs in the infinity, finding themselves right when they needed someone just like them. Oh, how Rhys’ heart couldn’t stop but to beat the kind of rhythm he hasn’t felt in ages.

In a second, the whole van seemed to shake itself. Losing his stance, Rhys stumbled and fell right at Timothy’s side. Thankfully, he caught him right back, gripping right at his shoulders.

“Woah, you okay?” Tim asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”

Rhys looked back at Timothy, still holding him so firmly onto himself. With his beautiful smile and that ruffled hair from the wind. God, how much he just wanted to say-

“Geez, you’re. You’re so beautiful, Rhys,” he whispered, seemingly not even catching himself on saying this out loud.

Another heat wave hit Rhys’ cheeks. Did he really mean it or was he-

“Oh, ehm, thanks. You too, Tim, you’re… You’re stunning,” ah hell. He should be honest.

“Because of the surgery?” Timothy asked, ready for a strike back answer.

“No. Because you’re Timothy Lawrence.”

And Timothy really couldn’t fight with this. Instead, he gave Rhys the gentlest of his stares. One that melted all of his heart away, one that Rhys wanted to see every day. Another storming thought in his mind, not believing everything he meant, everything he thought of. But as Timothy held him, he figured that maybe, just maybe he finally found that someone he was looking for all his life.

Inch by inch, he felt himself draw closer to Timothy. As the distance between them got even shorter and there was only one thing on his mind.

“Rhys! Get your ass up, it’s your time to drive.”

Well. Not this.

Like a varkid in the headlights, Rhys froze at the sound of that voice. Turning his head around and straightening in an instant, he saw Fiona with the most annoyed expression of all. Was it because of her the whole van shook or… No, there was no need to think about this _now_. So Rhys groaned and called back.

“Right! Right, right, I’m coming. You really couldn’t find any better time or just bug someone else?”

“Nope,” Fiona remained unfazed.

So Rhys could only pout at her. Ah, what he would do without his almost branded stare. Before he went back to the steering wheel, he looked back at Timothy.

“See ya later then.”

“See ya. I’ll think of you when I look at the stars,” Timothy gave him that dreamy look but quickly got himself back together. “Because of the constellations and. Stuff.”

And to this Rhys laughed earnestly, “Yeah, I’d prefer if you catch some more sleep.”

“Aalright, I’ll see what I can do,” Timothy winked right at him. _Now_ Rhys’ cheeks burned like crazy.

Even quicker, Rhys descended back to van’s main space. Most of his friends were already fast asleep. So he just took that last glance at the entrance to the roof. And he sighed, smiling to himself.

For sure, he will think of Timothy as he’ll drive past Pandoran wastelands, knowing they are both still looking at the exact same stars.

**Author's Note:**

> btw in past several days I've gotten a huge increase in kudos and I just wanted to say THANK U, I appreciate them all greatly 💗


End file.
